Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista Celebrates All Digital Cath Lab

Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista now has the ability to better view and treat coronary artery blockages that could cause heart attacks or other serious cardiovascular damage with a new state- of-the-art Cardiac Catheterization Lab. Last August the hospital held a grand opening and ribbon cutting celebration to commemorate the occasion.

Residing in a new free-standing building of approximately 4,000 square feet, the lab expects to serve 400 patients in the first year. Serving as medical director for the Cardiac Cath lab is Cardiologist Roman Szkopiec, M.D.

The new lab houses the GE Innova™ 2000 all-digital cardiovascular imaging system. This revolutionary system allows cardiologists to view hard-to-see blood vessels with exceptional clarity under even the most difficult conditions. It utilizes GE’s breakthrough Revolution digital detector, which replaces conventional x-ray imaging components along with their artifacts and distortions for crisper, cleaner, clearer images.

“We have brought the future of cardiac x-ray imaging to patients in the San Diego area,” says Hospital Administrator John Grah. “The medical significance of the GE Innova 2000 is similar to the transition from typewriters to computers. It’s a revolutionary change in the way we image the heart and related blood vessels that will allow us to provide excellent care for more patients.”

The amount of x-ray radiation both patients and technicians are exposed to is also drastically reduced by using the Innova 2000 making it a safer procedure.

The technology in the Innova 2000 is especially useful for a particular at-risk population. Traditional cardiovascular x-ray catheterization machines cannot be used for people who weigh more than 325 pounds, because the x-rays could not travel through that amount of mass. With the Innova 2000, patients up to 450 pounds can undergo the procedure.
The GE Innova 2000 is manufactured by GE Medical Systems.

For more information on Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista or for physician referral, please call 1-800-SCRIPPS (1-800-727-4777).